Cable clamping device



June 25, 1957 Filed Feb. 2, 1953 INVENTOR ATTOR N EYS ilnited drapes Fatent CABLE CLAMPTNG DEVICE Ernest A. Peterson, Demand, Caiif.

Application February 2, 1953, Serial No. 334,415

3 Claims. (Cl. 24-123) This invention relates to devices for clamping a plurality of strands of cable or the like, and is more particularly directed towards such a device which may be releasably installed on cables by workmen in the field.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cable clamping device in which a pair of members are arranged to be operatively engaged for holding a pair of cables therebetween.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which the normal pull in the respective lines or cables will cause a firmer grasping thereof between the aforesaid members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which is extremely simple in construction, and which is of a small size so as to not present obstructions along the length of the cable or cables to which it is secured.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a clamping mechanism of the above nature which may be readily installed on cables without requiring any special tools or equipment, but which readily lends itself to more rapid and efiicient installation by a special tool mechanism which may be carried by the workman.

Still another object of the invention is to provide adevice of the type referred to in which the cooperating clamping members are of substantially identical form, and which present a smooth generally elliptical form when assembled.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted Within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view or" the device of the present invention shown in operative position on a pair of cables.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a blank from which each of the cooperating device members may be formed.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the two members in detached relationship.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of one of the members.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing a tool for assembling the two members on the cables.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an end view of the tool shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional View of a different type of tool mechanism for assembling the members.

The clamping device of the present invention is arranged to receive a pair of cables 11 and 12 for releasably securing the same together. It will be understood, of course, that if a single clamp will withstand a certain load,

by placing several of the devices on the cables, a greater load can be carried without danger of the respective cables slipping axially. As will be seen in Figure 2, the respective members 13 of my device are each formed from a fiat generally rectangular blank 14. Blank 14 is provided with a longitudinal edge 16 extending for the entire width thereof and a pair of parallel side edges 17 in perpendicular relation to edge 16. The other longitudinal edge 18 is disposed in parallel spaced relation to edge 16, but does not extend to the edges 17. Instead, a pair of parallel surfaces 19 extend from the respective ends of edge 18 towards edge 16, and are then curved back away from edge 16 to provide a generally U-shaped slot 21. Edges 17 curve at their distal ends to provide lugs 22 adjacent the slots 21, the said lugs being provided with a curvate projection 23 which slightly restricts the normal slot width.

In constructing the clamp members from a pair of blanks 14, it is merely necessary to bend the latter about a centerline intersecting the edges 16 and 18 until the lugs 22 are disposed in parallel relation with the main body portion 24 of the blank providing a generally U-shaped configuration. The cables may then be placed in one of the members 13 with the edges 17 and 19 disposed upwardly, and the other of the members may be inverted, as illustrated in Figure 3, so that the latters edges 17 and 19 may slide upon edges 19 and 17 respectively of the first member. Due to the fact that the width of the slots 21 is slightly less than the enlarged width of lugs 22, the two members may not be freely slid together. It is therefore necessary to drive the two members together by any suitable mechanism, forcing the enlarged portion 23 of the lugs past the restricted slot openings until such portions are seated in correspondingly enlarged portions 26 of the slots. This engaged position is best seen in Figure l of the drawing.

It will be understood that the internal width of the members must substantially coincide with the diameter of the cables being secured, while the internal height of the two members will be approximately the size of both diameters of the cables being clamped. In order to prevent any loose Wires or strands of the cables from being caught between the edges of the members 13, the edges 17 are preferably faced or bevelled as indicated by the numeral 27.

As an important feature of the present invention it is essential that the edges 17 and 1 of each member lie in spaced parallel planes so as to lie immediately adjacent the edges 19 and 17 or" the other of the members. Where the cables are very large, and consequently the width of body portion 24 is also large, no serious problem is presented, for the edges 19 may be readily folded upwardly to lie in a common plane. However, with smaller cables, and thus narrower body portions 24, if the edges 19 on the blank 14 were normal to the planar surfaces thereof, upon folding of the blank, such edges would lie in angularly related planes. Therefore, as illustrated in the drawing, it is necessary to bevel the edges 19 as shown at 31, so that upon the bending of the blank, such edges will lie in a single plane and in spaced parallel relation to edges 17.

As hereinabove mentioned, the respective members may be operatively engaged by driving them together with a hammer or similar tool, but where a large number of clamps are to be installed, it may be preferable to utilize a special tool of the types illustrated herein. In Figures 5 to 7, one type of installing tool 41 is disclosed. The latter includes an integral U-shaped body member having upstanding legs 42 being spaced apart a distance suflicient to receive the clamp members 13. In operation, one of the members is placed on the lower surface 43 of the member 41 and is held against axial movement by a pair of the matching member is then placed over the latter and hand tightened. At this time, a bar 46'is slid through aligned slots 47 in legs 42, said slotshaving downwardly disposed portions 48. The bar has a generally Hat top'49' and a Width generally corresponding to that of the slots 47. The under surface of the bar is tapered as shown at 51 and extending along one longitudinal edge of the bar is a projection 52 which also tapers a's shown at 53. As the bar is rammed through slots 47, the projection 52 engages member edge 16 and forces the member into locking engagement with the other of the members. 7

In Figure 8, a different type of tool is disclosed wherein the body portion 61 is likewise provided with parallel spaced legs 62. A curved surface 63 is utilized to receive one of the members 13 in the previously described manner, and the surface 63 is provided with a stop element 64 adjacent the front end thereof against which member 13 abuts. The inner surfaces of legs 62 are provided with grooves 65 arranged to slidably receive a bar 66. The upper surface of the latter is tapered as indicated at 67, While the lower surface has an arcuate groove 68 and a rear stop 69 for the upper member 13. By sliding bar 66 towards the front of the ears 62, the upper clamp member will be positively engaged, with the mating clamp member.

From the foregoing description, the details of construction and method of clamping the device on a pair of cables are believed apparent. It is also believed clear that due to the interlocking arrangement of the members, an axial pull on one of the cables will tend to draw the members together rather than eifect separation thereof. Also, if desired, the inner surfaces of the members may be provided with transverse ridges or corrugations 71 to further increase the holding properties of the clamp device.

I claim:

1. Cable clamping apparatus comprising a pair of substantially identical rigid members, each of said members having an axially extending body portion of generally areuate cross-sectional form, means providing a pair of parallel spaced ears extending upwardly from longitudinal edges of said body portion, said ears having axially extending portions disposed in spaced relation to said longitudinal edges and defining with said edges axially extending slots, means on the distal end portions of said axially extending portions providing areuate projections of greater transverse depth than that of the slot immediately adjacent thereto, said members being releasably secured together by forcing the axially extending portions on each of said members into the slots on the other of said members, said members in secured position defining a substantially solid casing of elliptical cross-sectional form.

2. Cable clamping apparatus comprising a pair of substantially identical members cooperative to define an axially extending chamber of generally elliptical crosssectional form, each of said members having an axially extending open body portion of generally U-shaped crosssectional form and having an axis of curvature parallel to the longitudinal axis of said member, the longitudinal edges of each member lying substantially in the same plane and parallel to said longitudinal axis, a pair of parallel planar ears extending upwardly fromsaid longitudinal edges adjacent one end of each of said members and provided with areuate projections spaced from said longitudinal edges and extending towards the other end of each of said members, the upper edges of said ears and projections being disposed in a plane parallel and spaced from the plane of said longitudinal edges, said projections defining with said longitudinal edges a pair of slots having a restricted opening and arranged to receive the projections of the other of said members.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which the longi tudinal edges of each member are disposed in contiguous relation to the upper edges of said ears and said projections of the other member, and in which the inner edge portions of the upper edges of said ears are bevelled.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 741,052 Mahon Oct. 13, 1903 805,359 Greist -4 Nov. 21, 1965 1,987,127 Rice Jan. 8, 1935 2,171,726 Howell Sept. 5, 193.9 2,315,399 Cline Mar. 30, 1943 2,465,677 Deverall Mar. 29, 1949 2,521,192 Tessrnann Sept. 5, 1950 2,538,043 Roy Jan. 16, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,614 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1891 719,985 Germany Apr. 21, 1942 

